Gregory Goes There

A new survey by the CDC, as reported in the New York Times and on Backpacker’s blog by writer, editor and regular contributor Grant Davis, shows that hiking is the third most outdoor sport, if assessed by the numbers of injuries stemming from a given sport. The numbers are from data collected in 2004 and 2005.

The New York Times takes the tack that it’s odd that snowboarding is number one - and higher than the rates for a number of other outdoor activities, including boating, waterskiing, mountain biking and camping, combined. Davis notes how odd it is that hiking - which is essentially walking - ranks so highly as to be in third place, and wonders where skiing is in the mix.

Curious indeed that hiking ranks so highly, but it’s probably like those statistics that show driving is so much more dangerous that flying, simply because so many people drive. After all, most everybody walks.

But I’d like to know how they define hiking. Is walking around a city park hiking? Or is that just walking?

Do you have a to be wearing a backpack to be hiking? Or wearing hiking boots, not running shoes?

And the most obvious question: Is hiking more dangerous than just staying home and watching TV?

Anyway, there’s a lot of amusement to be had in both Davis’ post and the report in general. And if you haven’t checked out Backpacker’s excellent and relatively new blog page, which offers frequent entries from Davis along with Backpacker Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe and regular blogger Ted Alvarez, there’s lots of thoughtful info there. Worth a bookmark.